Israeli Parliament Seeks to Restrict Access to Online Porn
Knesset wants to establish "stamp of approval" for websites without adult content
By: Sue Denim
Posted: 05/02/2007
As part of an ongoing study of ways to channel the Internet’s effect on modern life, the Knesset’s Science and Technology Committee on Tuesday suggested establishing an official "stamp of approval" for websites that contain no sexual or other religiously objectionable content and considered ways of blocking those that do.
The governing body also established an advisory group consisting of rabbis and heads of religious websites and portals and tasked it with suggesting "ways to promote values on Internet sites and warn parents and children not to go into objectionable sites," according to the Jerusalem Post.
Approximately 85 percent of the Israel’s Jewish population is connected to the Internet, according to a survey prepared by Knesset information staff. Chief among the committee’s concerns is that the religiously observant may avoid the Internet—which the committee admitted will continue to have a major impact on life worldwide—because they fear coming into contact with "forbidden" materials. In fact, many leading rabbis have outlawed Internet use unless people need it to make a living. According to the Knesset survey, only 23 percent of ultra-orthodox Jewish Israelis are online, compared to 73.6 percent of modern Orthodox Jews, 83.1 percent of "traditional" Jews, and 91.9 percent of secular Jews.
"The Internet has become a vital tool in Israel and abroad," committee Chairman Zevulun Orlev told the Jerusalem Post. "There are dilemmas, but there can be ways to help the religious to enjoy the Internet without it harming them."
Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, who runs the Tzomet (Torah, Science, and Technology) Institute, suggested that high-tech Israeli companies develop reliable means for the whole world to block out pornographic and other objectionable sites. In contrast, Amiad Taub, a representative for the modern Orthodox community, commented that people who want to find pornography online always manage to do so. He suggested educating young people to avoid the Internet’s dangers as a better plan.
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a Petah Tikva rabbi who heads Tzohar (an organization of modern orthodox rabbis) and will chair the advisory group, recommended the Knesset promote positive values by awarding prizes for such activities as establishing "wholesome" sites and forums and voluntarily blocking "objectionable" sites.
